Currently, magnetic resonance imaging systems use a backplane bus in order to communicate safety and emergency information. The backplane bus includes an array of dedicated signal wires to communicate safety and emergency information to various safety and interlock mechanisms of the MRI system. Safety and emergency information is critical, for example, in controlling the state of the RF transmit/receive switch but is also applicable to various other system states and controlling corresponding devices in the MRI system including the gradient amplifiers, cooling system, and the like.
For example, before an RF transmitter is activated to try and transmit an RF pulse during a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence, one must be sure that the RF receiver is in the OFF or disconnected state. Transmitting an RF pulse, which is a relatively high power pulse, when the RF amplifier is configured to receive relatively weak resonance signals, could damage the RF receiver. Due to the speed at which pulses are applied and echoes are received in the MR imaging sequence, this information must be communicated with very low latency and independent of normal software device control functions to ensure the RF amplifier and RF receiver are not in the ON or connected state at the same time.
Dedicated signal wires ensure the safe operation of the MRI system by providing an independent low latency communication of safety and emergency information to the various safety and interlock mechanisms. Although the dedicated signal wires provide a solution to satisfy these safety requirements, the increasing complexity of MRI systems increases the cost and physical complexity of the implementation of a backplane bus and/or signal wires to communicate safety and emergency information.
The present application provides a new and improved system and method for communicating safety and emergency information which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.